Musings on the Death of an Actor
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009 02:29 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
lizvogelI'm not normally much affected by the death of someone I don't know personally, but Edward Woodward's passing jarred me. He wasn't in any of my formative fandoms -- The Equalizer and Callan were latter-day obsessions -- but I realized on thinking about it that he was something of a fixture in my general fannish experience. It seems he was always around in something, and he could always be relied upon for an enjoyable performance. Not that he didn't appear in some pretty dire productions (Heck, I bought a copy of Bloodsuckers for that man. What's worse, I watched it.), but he was always good.
So, the housemate and I have been having our own casual sort of Edward Woodward film festival over the past couple weeks. What better way to memorialize a man who provided so much excellent material for it?
Spoilers for:
Codename: Kyril is a fun little spy romp, if by "fun" you mean unnecessarily complex, with questionable character motivations and a good thirty minutes of explanation apparently left on the cutting room floor. No matter; Woodward is in fine form as the elegant and utterly ruthless Royston. This was very much Equalizer era, and fans may take a while to see Woodward in a tux as anyone other than Robert McCall. It's worth the effort, though. Woodward's slick performance in the violent climactic scene is terrific (though didn't anyone wonder about the hole in his jacket pocket?), and his reaction to the news that he got the wrong Russian killed is classic subtle-obvious EW.
'Breaker' Morant - one of Woodward's most famous roles, and justly so, although his portrayal of the multi-faceted title character was almost overshadowed by Jack Thompson as the unprepared and underqualified defense lawyer who nonetheless presents a case that would probably have gotten his clients off in a fair trial. Woodward's ability to go from surface calm to exploding rage and back again is well showcased here. His rendition of the final lines, laden with cynicism and emotion without going over the top, was enough to make me look up Harry Morant's poetry.
"Dead Drop" is one of my top favorite episodes of The Equalizer. It's got the whole gang, with Woodward's McCall as ringmaster of his own personal spy circus. It's got Woodward and Robert Lansing playing off each other, always a delight. It's got dramatic tension and little comic touches, and Woodward projecting dangerous as only he could. Good stuff.
The Wicker Man - the cult classic that's often described as a horror movie, but despite the presence of Christopher Lee, really isn't. It's an odd film, one that could easily have descended to B-movie triteness with a less skilled actor than Woodward carrying the main action. Fortunately, it does have Woodward both to carry off the stick-up-ass Sgt. Howie, somehow making him likeable despite his arrogant, prudish close-mindedness, and to deliver the final, desperate moments with equal measures authoritarianism and abject terror.
Over My Dead Body was an under-appreciated little detective show, offering a rare showcase for Woodward's considerable comedic abilities. You've got to love a show with exchanges like: "How do you lose a tail?" "Evolve?" As retired police analyst turned novelist Maxwell Beckett, Woodward was simultaneously approachable and enigmatic, projecting pathos and silliness with equal skill. Before this show, I hadn't appreciated how just plain funny the man could be; in truth, he was as good at humour as he was at drama. Oh, yeah, and he could sing, too.
The season 3 opener of Callan just keeps getting better the more I watch it. On shiny DVD, especially, because all Woodward's little subtleties come through so nicely. This one's got it all: eyes and expression, voice (there's just a hint of subservient quaver that gradually fades throughout the episode), brilliant body language when he switches from machine-like precision at regular targets to horrified revulsion at figures. Watching Callan slowly get his edge back is just a delight.
Classic acting by a class act, all around.
So, the housemate and I have been having our own casual sort of Edward Woodward film festival over the past couple weeks. What better way to memorialize a man who provided so much excellent material for it?
Spoilers for:
Codename: Kyril is a fun little spy romp, if by "fun" you mean unnecessarily complex, with questionable character motivations and a good thirty minutes of explanation apparently left on the cutting room floor. No matter; Woodward is in fine form as the elegant and utterly ruthless Royston. This was very much Equalizer era, and fans may take a while to see Woodward in a tux as anyone other than Robert McCall. It's worth the effort, though. Woodward's slick performance in the violent climactic scene is terrific (though didn't anyone wonder about the hole in his jacket pocket?), and his reaction to the news that he got the wrong Russian killed is classic subtle-obvious EW.
'Breaker' Morant - one of Woodward's most famous roles, and justly so, although his portrayal of the multi-faceted title character was almost overshadowed by Jack Thompson as the unprepared and underqualified defense lawyer who nonetheless presents a case that would probably have gotten his clients off in a fair trial. Woodward's ability to go from surface calm to exploding rage and back again is well showcased here. His rendition of the final lines, laden with cynicism and emotion without going over the top, was enough to make me look up Harry Morant's poetry.
"Dead Drop" is one of my top favorite episodes of The Equalizer. It's got the whole gang, with Woodward's McCall as ringmaster of his own personal spy circus. It's got Woodward and Robert Lansing playing off each other, always a delight. It's got dramatic tension and little comic touches, and Woodward projecting dangerous as only he could. Good stuff.
The Wicker Man - the cult classic that's often described as a horror movie, but despite the presence of Christopher Lee, really isn't. It's an odd film, one that could easily have descended to B-movie triteness with a less skilled actor than Woodward carrying the main action. Fortunately, it does have Woodward both to carry off the stick-up-ass Sgt. Howie, somehow making him likeable despite his arrogant, prudish close-mindedness, and to deliver the final, desperate moments with equal measures authoritarianism and abject terror.
Over My Dead Body was an under-appreciated little detective show, offering a rare showcase for Woodward's considerable comedic abilities. You've got to love a show with exchanges like: "How do you lose a tail?" "Evolve?" As retired police analyst turned novelist Maxwell Beckett, Woodward was simultaneously approachable and enigmatic, projecting pathos and silliness with equal skill. Before this show, I hadn't appreciated how just plain funny the man could be; in truth, he was as good at humour as he was at drama. Oh, yeah, and he could sing, too.
The season 3 opener of Callan just keeps getting better the more I watch it. On shiny DVD, especially, because all Woodward's little subtleties come through so nicely. This one's got it all: eyes and expression, voice (there's just a hint of subservient quaver that gradually fades throughout the episode), brilliant body language when he switches from machine-like precision at regular targets to horrified revulsion at figures. Watching Callan slowly get his edge back is just a delight.
Classic acting by a class act, all around.
